Recently, we saw everywhere on the news and television about
the mass migration of people entering Europe. The effects of the civil war in
countries such as Syria and Iraq particularly resulted in their people seeking
asylum in European countries hoping to get a better life. This was after a heart-braking
picture of a little boy drifted ashore on the coast of Turkey prompting urgent
response worldwide particularly in Europe.
I feel that the migration issue has to be tackled from the
core and that is the civil unrest in the affected countries at first. The problem
of the Middle East right now is having too many groups fighting each other. We’ve
seen many airstrikes by the US and its allies but why
does the current situation in Syria and Iraq still persists? The US and its
allies continues to provide arms for the Free Syrian Army rebels who are
fighting against the Syrian government but I feel that does not solve the
current issue quickly. By the day, there seems to be more and more splinter
group operating in the area and the best way to tackle this is by having troops
on the ground and I mean REAL soldiers. Turkey and Saudi Arabia can send their
own troops to fight the Syrian government rather than handing money and weapons
to these fighters who are not guaranteed to sustain in the long run.
As for Europe, it is good to see some countries like Germany
and the UK inviting these asylum seekers a place to settle down. No doubt that
these migrants will have a better life than their homeland. However, I understand
that having too many foreigners can be a problem. Dilution of local culture can
happen and many Europeans in particular are proud of their heritage and
history. Not long after, countries like Hungary have sealed off their borders
to prevent more influx of migrants. As much as I support the European countries
allowing these migrants to settle in their lands, I feel the migrants can be
there temporarily rather than permanent. This way, Europe will still keep its
identity and once the situation gets better in the Middle East, the migrants
can return home bringing along useful skills that they can use to build their
country back up.
However, whether the situation in the Middle East improves
in the near future remains to be seen. Otherwise, the migrants are going to
have a new problem to deal with In their new home….
Thank you, Mubin, for taking the time to reflect on this crisis. You touch on many of the key issues, including the way that various outside parties, including the US and Saudi Arabia, have added fuel to the fire of conflict. You even mention how culturally accepting migrants can be a difficult issue.
ReplyDeleteAs I read this I wonder if Singapore had plans to accept any refugees. It certainly has no responsibility to do so, but with the constant calls from some quarters for increasing the population, that would be a source of people.
In any case, I appreciate your effort here!